Tropical Storm Lee Remnants Cause Flooding in Worcester, MA

Published Mar 27, 2014 at 11:01 PM

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(NECN: Brendan Monahan, Worcester, MA) – The Worcester area
has seen up to six inches of rain in recent days. The remnants of tropical
storm Lee are responsible for Thursday’s downpours.

Gary Soderman knew his rainy morning commute through
Worcester would take a while. He didn’t think he’d be there into Thursday
afternoon.

“I saw a smaller car plow through it, so I figured I had
more clearance,” said Soderman,whose submerged truck on Cambridge street was a
common scene across the area Thursday as heavy rains left flooded roadways and
stranded cars in its wake.

“I didn't realize there was lower spot there so once I hit
that my electrical system was done,” he said.

But Soderman wasn’t alone. Arthur Laramee had to rescue his
co-worker that got stranded in this van on Quinsigamend Avenue.

“He ended up getting out and swimming to me and he got in my
truck and we brought him to the shop to get dry clothes,” said Laramee.

Jim Okerberg watches drivers test high waters outside his
Quinsigamend Avenue pumping station every time the low lying area floods.
Thursday, three drivers failed to listen to his warning not to try it.

“It amazes me: you see two cars and the next thing you know
the third car is in, lights on, and it's dead,” said Okerberg who says the city’s
sewer drains can’t handle intense rains. Once water seeps into stranded drivers’
cars, neither can they.

“They sit there until the water goes through, the floor is
flooded, then they jump ship,” he says.